Owners of the third-generation Toyota Prius, launched in 2010, have been sharing concerns over braking issues with the 2010 Prius. At least 33 complaints have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation, MSNBC reported on December 29. Motorists report a sensation of losing control or a brief delay in the brakes employing after putting pressure on the pedal.
Prius brakes are more complex than other, non-hyrbid conventional automobiles. When a driver puts their foot on the brake petal, the Prius brakes must first recapture kinetic energy lost and turn it into an electric current to recharge the car's batteries. A more conventional, hydraulic braking system is employed for more aggressive stops. Mechanics have speculated that the sensors that control the hybrid braking system could malfunction when the wheels are jarred by a hard bump. However, the NHTSA has not made a determination yet whether or not there is a safety related defect.
The California product liability attorneys at Estey & Bomberger are closely monitoring the situation with Toyota and reports of brake failure incidents involving the 2010 Prius. If you have a safety-related complaint involving any motor vehicle, you are urged to report it at safercar.gov, or by calling the NHTSA's hotline at (888) 327-4236. Government engineers will analyze the problem, and if warranted, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) will open an investigation to determine if a safety defect trend existis. Some of these investigations result in safety recalls. If you have been injured in an accident, you may also contact the product defect attorneys at Estey & Bomberger for more information about your legal rights.
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